Landlord Rush Wilson Vows to Attract More Retailers to Scarsdale Village

Why are so many storefronts empty in Scarsdale Village? Is it the parking? The lack of restaurants or competition from online retailers? And what effect do all the empty stores have on the few existing tenants?

Rush Wilson, the man who owns a good chunk of the storefronts downtown, was invited to the October 6 meeting of the Scarsdale Forum to shed some light on the dismal state of affairs downtown.

The most recent losses were Imagine Candy who will close their doors after five years in the Village on October 15 along with interior designers Paris Interiors who occupied a double storefront on East Parkway. Storefronts once occupied by Taiim Cellars, the short-lived Yogurt shop on Harwood Court and cosmetics retailer Space NK have been vacant for years.

Addressing an interested group, Wilson said, "I am aware of the need for a vital village center and retail environment. Seven vacancies with five in the Harwood Building are far too many." He linked Scarsdale's woes to national trends, saying "Brick and mortar retail is suffering."

He said, "We want more variety in village retailers, such as women's apparel, shoes and jewelry, frozen yogurt, a packing and shipping store like UPS and a book store." He asked the audience to keep their fingers crossed, as he is currently in discussion with a book retailer who is considering opening in the Village.

Wilson claimed that rental fees were not the issue and resolved to secure some tenants, saying "Our reputation for high rent will not hinder our efforts to get food in town," but then added that the reason more restaurants are not in Scarsdale is that "expensive venting" is required.

One audience member said, "Larchmont has a great restaurant scene. Why are these historically absent from Scarsdale? Wilson said, "Our biggest problem is venting. Full service restaurants require venting. It's a six-figure investment with quarterly maintenance. It takes a well-established restaurant to justify the expense."

Bob Harrsion asked what the cost per square foot was to rent in Scarsdale and how this compares to Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Bronxville? Wilson claimed not to be "familiar with other communities but said rents in Scarsdale range from $50-$60 per square foot."

Wilson was rushed from podium before a longer discussion could ensue, but it was not clear why he was unable to make the investment in venting to attract more restaurants – or offer tenants incentives to make it economical for them to do the infrastructure work.

One fed up retailer who was sitting in the crowd said, "It's frustrating. There is 4,000 square feet of vacant space in the Harwood Building where we could have a flagship restaurant. Why not install the venting?"